Spatial Geometry and the Wu-Yang Ambiguity

We display continuous families of SU(2) vector potentials $A_i^a(x)$ in 3 space dimensions which generate the same magnetic field $B^{ai}(x)$ (with det $B\neq 0$). These Wu-Yang families are obtained from the Einstein equation $R_{ij}=-2G_{ij}$ derived recently via a local map of the gauge field system into a spatial geometry with $2$-tensor $G_{ij}=B^a{}_i B^a{}_j\det B$ and connection $\Gamma_{jk}^i$ with torsion defined from gauge covariant derivatives of $B$.Comment: Based on talks given by R. Khuri at PASCOS-94, Syracuse University, May 1994 and at Gursey Memorial Conference I, Istanbul, June 1994, 7 pages, TeX (typo in first Author's name is corrected.

Wu-Yang Fields

We generalise the definition of a Wu-Yang field in R^3, to the generic case in R_d, with the exceptions of d = 2, 4

Correlation between Anthropometric Measures, Blood Glucose, and Cholesterol Levels in College-Aged Hispanic Males

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between anthropometric measures, blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol (TC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) among Hispanic college-aged males 18 to 30 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. METHODS: Thirty-five male subjects (age= 23.2 ± 2.8) read and signed the informed consent prior to participation in this study. Subjects had their height, weight, and three circumference measurements taken [waist at umbilicus (WU), waist at smallest point (WSP), and hip at widest point (HWP)] and their body mass index (BMI) calculated. A fasting blood sample was taken to analyze TC, HDL, and FBG; in addition, TC:HDL ratio and non-HDL were calculated. Percent body fat (BF) was also measured using air displacement plethysmography. RESULTS: Age was found to be significantly correlated with weight (r= 0.491, p\u3c 0.01), BF (r= 0.575, p\u3c 0.01), BMI (r= 0.539, p\u3c 0.01), diastolic (DBP) (r= 0.427, p\u3c 0.01), WSP (r= 0.596, p\u3c 0.01), WU (r= 0.638, p\u3c 0.01), and HWP (r= 0.485, p\u3c 0.01), and non-HDL (r= 0.405, p\u3c 0.02). BF and BMI were significantly correlated with HDL (r= −0.370, p\u3c 0.03; r= −0.384, p\u3c 0.03) and correlated with TC:HDL ratio (r= 0.466, p\u3c 0.01; r= 0.441, p\u3c 0.01). WSP, WU, and HWP were significantly correlated with TC:HDL ratio (r= 0.429, p\u3c 0.01; r= 0.449, p\u3c 0.01; r= 0.372, p\u3c 0.03), while only the WU and HWP circumference measurements were significantly correlated with HDL cholesterol (r= −0.369, p\u3c 0.03; r= −0.428, p\u3c 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated age had notable correlations across most measures, even within this small 12-year range, which may be due to a decrease in physical activity throughout the college career. The data indicated higher BMI and BF were similarly correlated with lower HDL blood concentration and an increased TC:HDL ratio. This suggests that BMI is still a strong predictor of cholesterol level and can be relied upon when body composition analyzation is not available. Our results also indicated that location of the waist measurements is important and WU may be preferred site for determining negative risk factor regarding cholesterol in college-aged Hispanic males

Correlation of the scores on different comprehensive examinations and the Medical Competency Assessment Test for National License:a mixed methods study

Introduction: In-house comprehensive examinations for preclinical students from various Thai medical schools were provided. However, their quality has never been evaluated with a score correlation with NLE as the gold standard. This study aimed to assess the correlation of the scores as determined by three different comprehensive examinations and national license examination 1 (NLE step I) and to identify the positive learning strategies.Method: A mixed methods sequential explanatory study was done to investigate the performances amongst four tests and to identify the potential factors affecting those scores using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with content analysis.Result: All (n = 48) third-year medical students participated in our study. The majority were females (64.6%). Significantly positive correlations of NLE scores were: test A scores (r = 0.86), test B scores (r = 0.85), and WU test scores (r = 0.78). The highest accuracy index (AI = 0.87) was the WU test, where sensitivity, specificity were 20.0% and 97.1%, respectively. The WU test revealed that it was most helpful in preparing them for the NLE. Students who passed the exam used three study strategies; group study, tutorial sessions, and review by themselves.Discussion and Conclusion: There were strong positive correlations between three different in-house developed comprehensive examinations and NLE. The WU test showed the highest accuracy index to predict the NLE result. Regular review of lessons was emphasized as a cornerstone

The EU’s Trade Policy in the Doha Development Agenda – An Interim Assessment on Rules Negotiations

At Doha Ministerial Conference in 2001, WTO members agreed to launch new trade negotiations on a range of subjects and other work, including issues concerning the implementation of the present agreements. Various issues in the WTO Doha Development Agenda were dealt with in the form of ‘single undertaking’ which include the trade remedy rules, i.e., anti-dumping and subsidies rules. The EU, being the largest regional economy in the world, was no doubt a heavyweight in the Doha multilateral trade negotiations and so was its trade policy of great weight. To date, the EU had put forward a total of 10 submissions to clarify and improve the AD Agreement and the SCM Agreement at the end of 2006, and the submissions revealed the EU’s attitude toward the Rules negoation; not aggressive but prudent and cautious. While Doha Round seemed doomed and gloomy, the EU, on the other hand, launched its new trade policy, the ‘Global Europe’ framework in 2006 pursuant to the goals set up by the conclusions of Lisbon European Council. The new EU’s trade policy is comprised of a wider array of trade issues, aiming at maintaining its global competitiveness, and in light of the growing fragmentation and complexity of the process of production and supply chains as well as the growth of major new economic actors, particularly in Asia, there was a need for a revision of the EU Trade Defence Instruments (TDI) . A “Green Paper” on TDI was thus drafted and presented for public consultation by the Commission at the end of 2006, which is intended to make sure EU TDI fit in the trend of globalization as well as the European multinational corporations' competiveness in the new economic context. This paper intends to explore if the possible trade policy adjustment in the EU TDI will also facilitate to resolve the discrepancy between the EU and its counterparts in the Rules negotiations and provide a solid basis for the conclusion thereof. Section II of the article presents the ongoing DDA negotiations, inter alia, Rules negotiations. Section III will probe the negotiation objective and issues that EU concern by examining its submissions to the Negotiating Group on Rules as well as its implementation assessment. The EU’s new trade policy, in particular, that on the newly released “Green Paper” on the TDI will also be analyzed in section IV. This paper concludes that the EU policy on TDI is expected to be adjusted toward a framework favorable to other economic operators, such as users and consumers. Whether the public consultation for “Green Paper” is a process of consensus building is still an argument. It is likely that EU delegate will narrow down the gap between the EU and other exporting-oriented members in the Rules negotiations should the revised TDI be expanded to a large extent

Contemporary Flat-Tax Reforms in Eastern Europe. Causes of Diverse Approaches : A comparison of Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany.

The paper deals with the issue of contemporary flat-tax reforms in Eastern Europe and aims to account for the different approaches that various European countries adopted towards the idea of a flat-tax. Empirically, the work is based on detailed studies of Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany. The analysis considers three factors being decisive for the flat-tax feasibility: 1./ party system institutionalization, 2./ coalition/opposition cohesiveness, 3./ labor union institutionalization. First, the study is concerned with each of the factor's influence on the political decision-making process in the three country cases. Secondly, on country paired comparisons the findings for each of the countries are mutually contrasted. Although all identified factors seem to be at play with regard to flat-tax feasibility, I argue that it is either the strength or the weakness of labor unions' institutionalization and welfare identity that underlie the political decision-making in the East and the West and as a result determine the flat-tax (un-)feasibility. The absence of welfare identity in the East allows for higher coalition cohesion in favor and weaker opposition against the flattax adoption in contrast to the West.Series: Discussion Papers SFB International Tax Coordinatio